Conveying and gathering mechanism for harvesters and analogous implements



June 9, 1931.

CONVEYING AND GATHERING MECHANISM FOYR HARVESTERS AND ANALOGOUS IMPLEMENTS Filed OCT.. 28, 1929 H. H. BARDSLEY E'r Al.. 1,809,542

M swag 25 in the throat of the machine.

Patented June 9, 1931 T if.

'PAT

HARVEY H. BARDSILEY AND WILLIAM .1. EHLER, or' KANsAsvrLLE, wisconsin CONVEYING- AND GATHERING MECHANISM FOR HARVESTERS AND ANALOGOS IMPLEMENTS applicati@ ned october 2s, 1929.v serial No. 402,925.

This invention relates to Vbinding machines, harvesters and analogous agricultural implements and especially to gathering and conveying mechanism therefor for the pur- 5 pose of gathering and moving the stalks of the grain or plants in vertical position to the sickle or cutter and from there in vertical psition to the packing mechanism where the stalks are formed into bundles.

'At the present time most commercial binders and harvesters are provided with a series (often as many as eight) of endless conveyor chains which work in cooperation on opposite sides of the throat for moving the stalks rearwardly in vertical position.. These conveyor chains have elongated and laterally projectinggathering lugs aliixed at intervals thereon, whichengage thevstalks. The leverage and strain onsaid lugs and on the endless chains to whichthey'are affixed is great, especially where the corn or other plants are thick and where the binder and harvester is not provided with special means for prevent ing congestion or accumulation ofthe stalks Asv a result, the chains and lugs often have to be repaired and replaced. f n l It is an object of our invention toprovide efficient gathering and conveying mechanisms lio adapted to Acooperate with the cutting mechanism and pan of a binderand harvester to obviate the undesirable 'features ofy thechains and lugs utilized at this time.

It is a further object to providecooperating gathering and conveying mechanism for binders and harvesters which will efliciently cooperate to move and maintain the stalks 'in vertical position for cutting and which will convey the cut stalks rearwardly invertical i position to the packing mechanism.

Another object is to provide conveying mechanism which may beV built into the construction of binders and harvesters at the lfactory, or whichy may be applied lasian attachment or replacement for lthe conveying and gathering mechanism used on standard implements at thistime. 4 f I Y These and other objectsand advantagesof the invention will be apparent from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views and in which,

Fig. `1 is a side elevation of a corn binder showing an embodiment of our invention applied thereto, portions of the'implement being broken away or removed to more clearly show theconstruction and mounting of our cooperating gatheringy and conveyor ele-.

ments; l l

Fig. 2 is a top plan view looking in the .direction of the arrows indicated on Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary detail view s iowing the construction of one of our gathering and conveying elements and-the manner in which the same is driven; and

. Fig. 4 is a'detail cross section taken on the v line 4-4 of Fig. 1.k

' Our invention, asshown in the drawings,

i-s applied to a corn binder of well known type, having the usual frame comprising spaced sill members 5, 6 and 7 supported by the usual bullvwheel 8 at one side of the machine and a grain wheel 9 at the opposite side,

said Wheels'being affixed to an axle 10. The forward end of the main frame is connected by reach bars 11 to a swivel truck designated as an entirety lby. the numeral 12. The binder is provided with the usual sickle mechanism 1 comprising stationary plates 13 and a reciprocating cutter plate 14 moved by suitable driving mechanism across said stationary plates. The pan 15 of the ybinder is disposed pair vof metal gathering elements 16a. Below each of the gathering boards 16 a series of cooperating spiral conveying elements are mount-ed extending substantially parallel with boards 16 and the elements in each series "i ii being substantially in vertical alinement. On the bull wheel side of the throat of the binder, as shown in Fig. 1, three conveyor mechanisms are provided, although more or less may be utilized as required, all within the scope of our invention. The upper conveyor element at each side of the throat of the binder, as illustrated, comprises forward and rear spiral sections, designated as entireties by the letters A and B Connected together by a suitable universal joint 17.

As illustrated, each conveyor element or section compr-ises a spiral rod preferably constructed from suitable metal material having a substantial amount of resiliency and strenfrth. The ends of the spiral 18 are suitably ixed to the ends of a straight shaft 19, shaft 19 extending axially of the spiral. The shafts 19 of the several conveyor sections or elements are journa-led in suitable bearings 20 which are afiixed to the framework of the binder, at least two of said bearings being provided for each conveyor element. The up ermost conveyor comprising sec,- tions A and B at each side of the binder throat is the longest conveyor ,of its series and extends in inclined direction from the forward and lower end of the machine to the rearward and upper end thereof, The forward sections B of the Conveyor have their axes dispo-sed substantially parallel to the converging edges of gathering boards 16 and the universal connections 17 permit the forward sections B to be driven by rotation of the rearward sections A.

A s shown in Fig. l, a pair of conveying mechanisms C and D are disposed below and in parallel relation with conveyor section A of theupper conveyor and the axes of conveyors A, D, and C lie substantially in a common vertical plane. The conveyor sections on the grain wheel side of the throat of the binder are mounted and arranged substan tially similar to those previously described, although any desired numbers of conveyors may be utilized at the two sides of the binder throat without, of course, departing from the scope of the invention. The innerl edges of the gathering boards 1G are substantially vertically aline'd with the axes of the several conveyor elements disposed therebelow.

The spirals of the conveyors on opposite sides of the throat are preferably arranged oppositely to more eliic-iently cooperate in engaging and moving the stalks of the grain rearwardly to thecutter and then upwardly and rearwardly over the pan.

The two series of conveyors may be driven by any suitable means, and, as shown, we provide a pair of parallel vertical shafts 21 disposed at the rear of the machine, shafts 21 being driven by bevel gear connections 21a at their lower ends with n transverse shaft 2 2 which .is driven by Ineens nl' Chain 23 frein n nnnntsrslmft 24..- Conntslshnft 24 is driven from the axle 10 of the binder by means of a heavy chain 25 trained about a large sprocket 26 iixed to axle 10 and about a small sprocket 27 on countershaft 24. shaft-s 21 are journaled in suitable bearings 2lb and each of said shafts 21 carries the appropriate number of bevel gears 28 for driving the rear ends of the shafts 18 of the several conveyor mechanisms, small bevel gears 29 being iixed to the rear ,ends of shafts 18 and meshed with driving gears 28.

The conveyors at the bull wheel and grain wheelV sides of the binder throat are revolved in opposite directions, which is easily made possible by arranging the bevel gear driving .engagement 210i` ,ofthe two shafts oppositely with reference to their meshed bevel gears which are fixed to transverse shaft 2 2. The gear ratios of the various driving gears above described are so proportioned that the screw conveying movement of the vconveying mechanisms will equal the forward travel of the binding machine or harvester over the ground;

In the operation of our improved device, the stalks 0f grain .01 plants Will bs gathered between the converging edges of the boards 16, the forward sections B of the upper conveyor at each side Of the throat initially assisting in maintaining the stalks in vertical position and causingrelative movement between said stalks and the throatrof the mashnsf All vconveyors Qn ons side of the throat rot-ate in one direction, while all conveyors on the opposite side of the throat are moved in the opposite direction. The stalks are thus properly guided to the Isickle mechanism and cut, the sections A, C and D of the Cnnvsynr series then @Operating t0 Innys the cut stalks rearwardly and upwardly over the pnn 1.5, maintaining' ssi-Cl .stslls in substantially vertical position and delivering the Cnt stalks te the Pachino' .nisshsnsnl (not shown) at he rear of the binder.

' 'lt vill bs noticed @haben cooperating @0n- Vertical driving Vsynr mechanisms nrs Positiv@ in nsnsn and f vill not bs subjected tothe ,heavy strains and' leverages placed on the VprOjeeting lugs and Chains .sXtsnsynly used in ,binders .and hefvsstsrs at this time The spiral nnnysysfs .Cooperate Vnicely with the gathering bsnfds, sislls bnr :and nan sf the binder or .harvester and will 'withstand hnffl snntinnsd nssssf The stalks sns lneyssl rearwardly by n sslfs'v or camming action rather than ,by the direct pushing action of series of elongated lugs or srnls fastened, t0' endless Chains nr ,flexible members.

1t will be seenthat our improved device rnny bs .substituted lor the ,Conveying mesh' snisln nov extensively 'utilised Inn binders; harvesters or yanalogous implements vitllnnt requiring ny srsst wenn@ nf alter# ation 0f the machines# In actual practise the @levies has Clemenizo ' posed gathering members provide-d with converging and opposed inner edges and a throat, a pair of oppositely disposed spiral conveying elements mounted longitudinally of and below said converging inner edges, a pair of oppositely disposed conveying elements extending longitudinally of and at opposite sides of said throat, and means for rotating said several conveying elements to cause the screw conveying movement thereof to equal the forward movement of the harvester or machine over the ground.

2. In a harvester or analogous machine, of the type having a pair of forwardly disposed gathering members providedwith converging and opposed inner edges and a throat, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced conveying mechanisms extending longitudinally of said gathering members and of said throat, each of said mechanisms comprising a forward spiral conveyor section having its axis disposed below one of said converging edges, and a rearward spiral conveyor section connected to said forward section by a universal joint, and driving means connected with said rearward conveyor sections, said driving means being arranged to causev the screw conveying movement of said conveyors to equal the forward movement of the harvester or machine over the ground.

3. In a harvester or analogous machine of the type having a pair of spaced gathering members defining a throat, a series of spaced spiral conveyors disposed one below the other and extending longitudinally below one of said gathering members and at least one spiral conveyor extending longitudinally of and below the other gathering member, a pair of upwardly projecting driving shafts, connections between one of said driving shafts and said series of conveyors and connections between said second driving shaft and said last mentioned conveyor vhereby conveyors at opposite sides of the device will be rotated in opposite directions.

4:. In a wheel-supported harvester or analogous machine, a pair of spaced gathering and guiding members inclined upwardly from their forward ends, a pair of cooperating inclined spiral conveying members disposed longitudinally of and beneath said gathering and guiding members with their axes substantially aligned with the opposed longitudinal edges of said members, means for drlvlng said Cooperating conveying members at equal speeds and in opposite directions, said drivin means being connected with the wheels o the machine for causing 'the screw conveyor movement of said conveying members to always be equal t0 the forward traveling movement ofthe machine over the ground. p

In testimony whereof we affix our s1gnatures. c

HARVEY H. BARDSLEY. WILLIAM J. EI-ILER. 

